


the price we pay

by protect_rosie



Series: forget me not [3]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Gen, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Team as Family, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 05:30:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8956321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/protect_rosie/pseuds/protect_rosie
Summary: Six weeks later, Nicky breaks his leg.





	

**Author's Note:**

> so originally this was supposed to be my entry for the hockey rpf gen fic challenge but i felt that it was getting a bit too romantic for that to qualify so? i decided to post it now and just write another piece for that (the piece im planning to post on nye will make much more sense if i post this now)
> 
> i suggest reading [ubd](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7790743) before this (bc it takes place between iv and the +1) so things make more sense, but i feel that this does a good job of standing on its own
> 
> title from motionless in white's _570_
> 
> i hope u enjoy!!!

Braden’s dealt with many Russians since he joined the Family, but he’s only ever trusted three; he loves all three like blood family. He’s met and dealt with many Swedes; loves two like blood family, and the other like another part of him. Many Americans and fellow Canadians have come and gone, like the leafs of a tree making the transition from spring to autumn - he’s loved all of them the same way he loves the three Russians and the two Swedes. They become part of his soul, forever, even after they’re long gone, either buried six feet under or with another Family out west.

Point is, he cares about every single part of the Family; especially the Russians and Swedes. So when he hears that Ovi and Nicky get shot down at the bar they were supposed to close the deal out with their Russian supplier, he rushes to the hospital, leaving Andre asleep in their bed.

There’s a reason why Braden’s only ever trusted those three Russians.

He gets to the hospital, rushes to the main desk, and asks for Ovi and Nicky. The receptionist points him down the hallway, tells him to turn left, and that the door should be the sixth one to the right. He thanks her and rushes down the hall, firing off a quick text to Andre, letting him know where he is.

Braden knocks three times, quickly twice and then one final time.

“Come in,” Nicky’s husky voice says - he sounds like he’s been crying.

“Oh my god,” Braden says when he sees Nicky, an IV plugged into his right hand. “Are you ok? Where’s Alex?”

“He’s still in surgery, one of the bullets traveled into his lung on the way here. We don’t,” Nicky’s voice cracks as he turns his face into the hand not in the IV. “We don’t know if he’s going to make it because he lost a lot of blood, so much blood, not only from there but from his leg too.”

This is the first time Braden’s seen Nicky look afraid, and he was standing next to Nicky when things started going sour in their deal with the Italians.

Over the course of the next ten hours, some of the rest of the Family starts coming in. First the two Russians and the two Swedes. Then Carlson and Alzner. And, finally, Nisky and Schmidtty. The room feels a lot lighter when Schmidtty comes in and starts telling jokes and laughing. 

The doctor comes in and is taken aback, “Woah, I didn’t expect this many of you to be in here. I guess Mr. Ovechkin is really liked, huh?”

“He really is,” Nicky says.

“That’s awesome. Ok, Mr. Ovechkin has made it through surgery,” there’s a loud  _ whoop  _ at that, “but I’m afraid he’s going to be asleep for a bit longer. Everything is fine, though. Does anybody have any questions?”

“When can we see him?” Kuzy asks, and Braden would’ve forgotten he was here if he hadn’t spoken.

“As soon as he wakes up, we’ll let you know, ok?”

Everyone nods, and then the doctor’s out of the room.

Nicky eventually kicks everyone out, says he needs to rest, and that he’ll call if anything needs their attention. 

Andre tangles their fingers together and says, “Let’s go home, yeah?”

//

Six weeks later, Nicky breaks his leg. He and Braden are the only ones in the house; everyone else away on business, or in Orly and TJ’s case, a League doctor meeting.

Bile starts making its way up Braden’s throat when he hears Nicky scream. Braden wasn’t there when Nicky and Alex got shot, but he’s pretty sure Nicky didn’t scream out in pain like that. He rushes - and almost trips twice - outside, scanning the backyard, in a hurry to find Nicky. 

He finds Nicky, face twisted in pain, lying in front of the garage. 

“Holy shit, Nicky, Nicky, stay with me,” Braden says when Nicky’s face starts to go soft. “Hey, hey, stay with me, ok? I’m calling someone. They’ll be here soon. It’s gonna be fine.”

He momentarily thinks of calling the Family doctors, asking them to leave the meeting to come help, but ultimately decides against it. He wants to call Ovi - after all, Nicky’s marrying him a few months from now - but the deal with Los Angeles Family must come through, or they’re going to suffer the losses for months. Beags and Marcus aren’t even in the same country, off in Sweden recruiting new members. 

He’ll never forgive himself if something happens to Nicky.

//

He ends up calling an ambulance, letting them know that a member of the Family is severely hurt, and if they don’t hurry,  _ your family is going to be finding your body parts for days. _

The ambulance is there within five minutes. 

Nicky starts to regain consciousness when they’re on their way to the hospital. 

“What happened?” Nicky asks, the movement of the vehicle shaking him slightly. 

“I don’t know,” Braden replies. “I think you fell and broke your leg. I found you yelling your guts out in front of the garage. What were you doing there anyway; you  _ hate  _ going to the garage.”

“I was getting the decorations for Andre’s birthday party. I think I slipped or something, I don’t really remember. I thought I could get the things down by myself, since you were busy.”

“League paperwork can always wait. You-”

“You know it can’t.”

“-should’ve called me.”

“I know,” he admits, closing his eyes. “You didn’t call Alex, did you? I don’t want him worrying about something as small as this.”

“As small as this?” Braden scoffs. “But don’t worry, I didn’t; I know how he gets when it comes to you, as he should.”

“Ok. Thank you.”

//

Alex finds out about Nicky’s hurt - a hairline fracture - not broken foot. There’s no way that he wouldn’t, not with Nicky’s foot in a soft cast. 

Andre brings him a cup of coffee while he watches Alex and Nicky pout silently at each other. How those two didn’t get together sooner, no one will know. 

“I’m glad Nicky had you here,” Andre says, sliding an arm around his waist. “I’m glad I have you too.”

Braden replies by softly kissing his temple. 

“Me too, babe.”

**Author's Note:**

> as always, comments/kudos r so very much greatly appreciated
> 
> find me on tumblr @ bckstrms


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